You, my father
by Helen Tesla
Summary: Ash's kidnapped by some really bad guys. In order to save him his friends have to ally themselves with their mortal enemies. But why Ash? There will be some big secrets which have to be solved and the past isn't always as over as one may think.
1. Chapter 1

Hey there. :)

That's my first Pokémon story I've ever written therefore I would really appreciate your opinion.

Summary: Ash's kidnapped by some really bad guys. In order to save him his friends have to ally themselves with their mortal enemies.

But why Ash? There will be some big secrets which have to be solved and the past isn't always as over as one may think.

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon

Note: English isn't my mother tongue, so I'm really sorry for any grammar errors.

* * *

It was a mild afternoon. The birds sung and the sun shone from the sky above.

A little group of four kids travelled with their Pokémon friends through a deep forest somewhere in the Hoenn region.

The head of the children – a twelve years old boy named Ash – strode through the wood. He was in a very good mood through the fact that he had already two badges and he strongly believed that the remaining six badges would be no problem at all.

They didn't sense the danger yet that was slowly creeping up on them.

The kids decided to make a brief break at an clear stream to fed their hungry Pokémon and themselves.

While Brock – the oldest of the little group – cooked a decent meal the siblings May and Max fed the Pokémon which were happy about the attention. Everyone was busy except one particular trainer.

Ash Ketchum sat at the riverside totally lost in his dreams. His loyal partner Pikachu sat by his side and enjoyed the warm sunshine on his yellow fur.

"Okay, guys, food's ready!" Brock announced and within seconds three starving children were sitting at the makeshift table.

"Enjoy your meal." The oldest said before he also sat down at the table and started to eat.

"I'm positive everything is as delicious as always, Brock." The youngest group member Max told his friend as he watched his sister and Ash with strange fascination.

The boy and girl in question shoved their food in amazing speed down their throat and almost wept for joy.

"Great as always, Brock!" Ash said after he finished and May just nodded in agreement.

Naturally, the food of their mother was absolutely great but young May was sure that no one on the entire world could cook as perfect as Brock.

"I'm glad you're full." Brock said with a slight smile on his lips.

It was always fascinating to watch Ash Ketchum eat but the former gym leader had never imagined that there could be another person on this planet – let alone a girl – who could eat nearly as much as Ash. It was quite amazing.

"Now, I would suggest we take a quick nap and then continue our journey. It's time I get a new badge!" Ash exclaimed enthusiastic. "Right, Pikachu?"

His little yellow companion nodded in agreement and yawned. But first of all there had to be a _long_ nap.

* * *

_A warehouse somewhere in nowhere_

A man in a black coat walked through some corridors. His face was hidden by a hood and also his hands were clad in black gloves. He opened a door and entered a dark room. The only light sources were the glowing monitors of the dozens computers.

"Sir, we localized the target." The guy in the black coat told his leader.

The leader didn't turn around when he answered in a low but amused voice: "Excellent. Proceed as planned. Understood? I want him here."

"Yes, Sir!" The hooded man replied immediately and left the room shortly after.

The dark room felt in silence once again. The unknown man looked interested at a picture of a boy which was shown by one of the many monitors.

A slightly evil smile formed on his lips: "Hello, Ash Ketchum."

* * *

_Back in the forest_

After their not so short break the group set off to the next town but now it were the other group members who took the lead while Ash fell back a little. Pikachu played a little with Max at the front of the group and therefor wasn't near his partner.

Ash was deep in thought. He truly wished that they could make it to the next Poke-Centre till tomorrow. He hadn't talk to his mother for a few weeks by now and he would like to wish her a happy birthday at least. She was such a great mother to him and there were times when the young boy wished he would be by her side more often.

The trainer didn't notice the black hooded men who creeped up on him from behind until it was too late.

The last thing Ash registered was the sight of his companions who were a good distance away from him by now and hadn't notice his absence yet.

_Pikachu, help…_


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, guys! :)

Here's the next chapter.

I would appreciate some feedback so that I know you like this story (or maybe not?).

Disclaimer: Look at chapter 1

…

"We're finally there!" Max exclaimed and ran to a slope. "Haven City!"

They looked down on a contemplative, quite town. There wasn't much to see, some houses, some shops but unfortunately no gym and no contest.

"Finally we're here." Max's sister sighed. "I'm glad we made it here before nightfall."

"Pika!"

The loud yell from a certain yellow companion of the group passed through the landscape and the children turned around quickly.

"What's up, Pikachu?" May asked, surprised about the outburst of the little Pokémon.

"Pika, Pikachu, Pika!" The electric mouse answered.

"Wait! Where's Ash?!" Brock questioned as he finally noticed the absence of their brave Pokémon trainer.

"You're right. I haven't seen him in a while." Max observed. "I thought he was right behind us."

"Yeah, me too." May agreed and looked back in the forest they came through a few minutes ago. "But where is he now?"

"Let's head back, guys!" Brock said and the kids ran back in the wood.

...

"Did you find him?" Brock asked his two friends.

Once they were in the forest again they had split up and searched for their friend.

"No. Torchic and I have searched everywhere." Max answered disappointed.

"I also had no luck. Beautifly flew over the whole forest but nothing." May explained. "And you, Brock?"

"I didn't find him, too." Brock said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Where could he have gone? And why didn't he tell us?"

"That's not Ash. He wouldn't go somewhere without telling us. Something has happened I'm sure of it." May uttered a worried expression on her face. "Maybe he was kidnapped!"

"Calm down, May. We don't know this." Max tried to soothe her and turned to Brock. "What should we do, Brock?"

The former gym leader looked up in the sky. The sun has almost disappeared and the forest was getting darker and darker.

"We have to wait until dawn. We won't find Ash in this darkness. Tomorrow we come back and look through the forest again." Brock suggested rationally.

"Yeah, you're right." Max replied with a stern nod and grabbed his sister's hand. "Come, May. Let's go."

...

Behind some thick brushes three shifty persons watched the children leave the woods.

"Did you guys here that?" The cat-like Pokémon asked his companions with a wide grin. "The leader-twerp is missing. Do you know what that mean?"

His human friends answered in unison: "Pikachu, we'll catch you!"

"Now that this annoying kid is out of the way nothing will stop us." The red-haired woman announced grinning.

"Right! Without his trainer it will be far too easy to catch Pikachu." The man with the blue hair added happily.

"And the boss will reward us rich when we give Pikachu!" Meowth prophesied with shining eyes.

"We will be rich until the day we die!" The group shouted excited.

Right in that moment they get a call from a rather unexpected visitor.

"Boss, what a pleasure!" Jessie, James and Meowth exclaimed surprised as soon as the boss's face appeared on the monitor of their laptop.

"Save your compliments! I want finally some progress!" The boss replied rather angrily.

This three were getting on his nerves. He honestly didn't know why he hadn't fired them already.

The trio gulped.

"We've made progress, sir." James answered. "We've find out that the twerp – the boy with the strong Pikachu – is missing. Now his Pokémon is without his trainer so we should easily catch it."

"The boy is missing?" Their leader asked with a suddenly quiet voice.

"Yes, sir. He went missing this evening and now is gone without a trace." Jessie explained.

"Do you have any information about the whereabouts of the boy?" Giovanni asked unusually curious.

"No. As we found them again the kid was already gone." James replied unsure of his boss's interest in this kid.

"I want you to find out about the boy's whereabouts." Giovanni declared after a few quiet minutes.

"Uh, boss…?" Meowth asked unsure that he'd understood his leader correct.

"That's an order!" Giovanni yelled angrily and end the call.

"Well, that was strange." Meowth remarked after a pause.

"You're telling me?" James replied with a frown. "Why is he so interested in this twerp?"

"Who knows…? But we cannot disobey so we will search for the kid in the morning." Jessie announced and her companions agreed.

...

_The gym in Virdian City in Kanto_

With a thoughtful expression the head of Team Rocket paced through his office.

His partner – Persian – watched him with a focussed look in his eyes.

The thoughts of Giovanni were far away in another universe.

The boy was missing – _Ash_ was missing.

With an almost inaudible sigh the man sunk back in his soft armchair.

After a moment he opened a drawer in his desk and took an old photo out of it.

He couldn't count the times anymore when he had look at this picture. This was his sanctuary – his everything.

"I have to find him."

Persian's eyes twitched in his direction, the cat Pokémon looked at him and voiced his agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everybody! :)

Next chapter's up. Hope you like it! Reviews would be awesome.

Disclaimer: Pokémon's not mine

…

_10 years earlier_

Quietly he sneaked through the streets. It was late at night and the city and its inhabitants were already asleep.

But the young man in his black uniform didn't worry about the people or the Pokémon of the town. Strangely enough, he was worried about his own colleagues. If he'd be seen wandering through the deserted streets when he already should be in the HQ in his room, he would be in big trouble. The young man didn't want to imagine his mother's face if she'd knew…

The man ducked behind a wall in a quick movement. Since the last weeks the police officers were more alerted than ever. He waited a few more minutes until he was sure that the danger was over and there wouldn't be any other interruptions.

As fast as a Rattata he ran through the dark alleys – his heartbeat quickened when his destination came finally in sight. Almost there, he would see her again in just a few moments.

Slightly out of breath, he stopped in front of a small house in the outskirts of the town.

Quickly he looked around to make sure that nobody had followed him. He took one reassuring breath and knocked at the door in a short movement.

At first there was silence. After another pounding minute the door was opened slightly and a deep brown eye peeked at the visitor. In the next moment the door was opened wide and a young beautiful woman with long auburn hair and warm brown eyes appeared and smiled happily at her late visitor.

"You made it!" She acknowledged happily and threw her arms around the black clad man. "I was so worried you couldn't come."

The woman let go of the man and pulled him hastily through her front door.

As soon as the door was closed the pair was rather busy with long loving kisses.

"I've missed you so much." The woman breathed as they broke their snogging for some much needed oxygen.

"I've missed you more." Her boyfriend replied with a cheeky grin. "I'd feared I wouldn't get out of the basis…"

"But you're here." She interrupted him with a loving smile. "That's all what matters to me."

The couple finally separated and the woman led her beloved into the living room.

"How are you?" The man asked as soon as they had sat down on the deep red couch. "Is everything alright?"

His girlfriend nodded: "Everything's good. You're the one I'm worried about. My life is rather uneventful but you…"

He brushed her sorrowed away and smiled reassuring at her: "You don't have to worry. My mother just sends me on missions she knows that I'm mostly out of danger. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Yes but…"

This time it was him who interrupted her.

In a caring move he brushed a few strains of her auburn hair out of her face.

"Hey. I'm fine. I won't leave you ever, you know. Whatever happens I'll be by your side and protect you." He promised with a sincere look in his dark eyes.

"Both of us?" The woman asked quietly after a moment.

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

"Would you also… protect us _both_?" She asked hesitantly.

The man looked strangely at his girlfriend. What was she talking about?

"Delia…?" He began slightly confused.

A short laugh escaped her and lovingly she stroked the cheek of her love.

"You're sometimes quiet oblivious, Giovanni." Delia told him with a smile and led his hand through her – still – flat stomach.

A look of understanding flashed over his face and a huge grin appeared on his lips.

"You're… We're…" he stammered and gulped. "I'm going to be a father?!"

Delia smiled happily: "Yes. I'm pregnant, Giovanni!"

…

But the happiness didn't last. Giovanni knew he couldn't tell his mother about the child – let alone his relationship with Delia. He couldn't risk losing Delia or his unborn child to Team Rocket.

He was desperate. He couldn't run away because his mother would find him everywhere, but he also couldn't stay with his little almost family. Sooner or later his mother would learn about his chid and eventually he would lose him or her to Team Rocket.

Giovanni could not let that happen!

So he did what he had to do – He sent Delia with their unborn child away.

Of course his girlfriend was everything but happy about his decision. She yelled at him – god she even threw something at him – but Giovanni didn't let her change his mind. He had made a decision and he did promise Delia to protect her – them.

The soon-to-be mother wasn't happy about the situation but she understood at last. Should Giovanni's mother – the current head of Team Rocket – die, than her beloved boyfriend would have to take her place. He wouldn't have much of a choice. So Delia did what was the best. Not just for her but for her child. She knew Giovanni loved her and he always would.

With this thing in mind she travelled back to her home town Pallet Town.

The local Pokémon professor and also a dear friend of Delia's family would support her in every way possible.

After the early death of her parents professor Oak was like a surrogate father to her and had helped her in every way possible. Surely she would find support with him.

…

It was like cruel faith. Just three month after Delia fled out of town 'Madame Boss' died in an unexpected attack and shortly after the funeral Giovanni was the new head of Team Rocket.

He did not hear often from his beloved, it was just too dangerous. But the few times he got a letter from her his heart always jumped in joy. He always breathed in relief when she wrote that everything was fine with her and the baby.

Just a few months after his 'promotion' he got another letter from Delia. It was rather short –

Just a few sentences:

"_Dear Giovanni,_

_A miracle had happened! Congratulations, dad, it's a strong little boy! He has the same raven black hair like you when you were younger. I gave him the name 'Ash' because I have the very strong feeling that he will ascend from the ashes and becomes the world greatest Pokémon trainer. I also hope that he will reunite us one day and we will have the chance to be finally a real family._

_Always yours, Delia."_


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! :)

Here is the next chapter.

Hope you like it and, as always, feedback would be appreciated.

Disclaimer: Still not mine

* * *

The next morning arrived quickly for the criminal trio and as soon as the sun had risen above the horizon Jessie, James and Meowth were out of the forest and in the nearby town to search for any information about the leader twerp. They didn't know why their boss was that interested in this kid but they knew better than to argue with Giovanni when he was like that. The trio had learned the hard way to better not question any orders they get by their boss if they loved their life.

And, surprisingly, they did get a hint about the possible kidnappers. An elderly lady – late in her 50 with light brown-grey hair – had told James about some strangers she saw the previously night by the forest. She told him that there were three men, clad in a black hood, who carried an unconscious child into a black van. But, unfortunately, she didn't know in which direction they'd driven.

"So, what shall we do now?" James asked clueless.

They had searched for nearly four hours but found nothing more than that slight hint about the van.

"I don't know. Maybe we should inform the boss about the black clad men and the van. He surely knows what to do now." Meowth replied thoughtfully.

The three friends currently walked down a small alley on their way back to the forest.

"But the boss will be angry when we report him that we 'maybe' have a 'slight' clue about the twerp's whereabouts. We don't even know how we can track down the van or these strangers who kidnapped the kid." Jessie acknowledged and the boys sighed heavily.

"So, what do _you_ suggest we should do now?" The lavender haired man asked his female companion slightly desperate.

They had walked around a corner and Jessie just wanted to respond when there was an angry shout behind them.

"YOU!"

Team Rocket jumped in fear then turned around to face three furious looking children.

"Damn! The twerps!" Meowth cursed quietly.

"Why am I not surprised to find _you_ three here?" Brock asked with a stern expression.

The criminals shared a quick look and decided to play dumb.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie started their famous motto.

"Make it double!" James continued automatically.

"To protect the world with devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"For God's sake! Shut it!" May angrily interrupted them. "I don't have the nerves to deal with this right now!"

"How rude to interrupt adults just like that. Have your parents didn't teach you some manners?" Jessie sneered and folded her arms in front of her chest.

"We don't have time for your stupid games!" The brown haired girl said and ignored the other woman's statement. "Where is Ash? What did you do to him?"

"Now, listen, young lady! We don't have anything to do with the twerps disappearance, okay? We're just as clueless as you are." James replied with a slightly annoyed voice.

"But you don't seem to be too surprised to me." Brock threw in. "You know he's missing?"

"Doesn't matter. We didn't kidnap the kid." Meowth replied. "So, if you excuse us."

The criminal trio went to leave just to be stopped by Pikachu.

The little yellow Pokémon blocked their way and angry sparks flashed around its cheeks.

"Whoa, easy, fellow! No need to be that mad." Meowth tried to soothe the other Pokémon.

It wasn't too keen to blow up again any time soon.

"You can't possible think that we let you off the hook that easily." Brock said determined with his poke ball in his hand and ready to throw. "What do you know about Ash's kidnapping?"

The trio looked for a quick escape. Unfortunately, there wasn't any – they were circled.

After a quick look and a simultaneous sigh Team Rocket surrendered.

"We've order to investigate the twerp's kidnapping." Meowth answered reluctantly.

The kids looked confused.

"Your boss?" Little Max asked curiously. "As in the leader of Team Rocket?"

"Who else?!" The cat-like Pokémon shot back annoyed.

"Why does he care?" The former gym-leader from Kanto asked confused. "What does he have to do with Ash?"

"How should we know? We just follow our orders." James replied and shrugged.

"So what do you know?"

Jessie and James shared a quick reassuring look.

"Well, we didn't figure out that much." James answered. "An elderly woman told us about some black clad strangers who carried a child to a black van in the early night. But we don't know where they're now."

"So…" Brock sighed thoughtfully. "Basically, we sit in the same boat. You want to find Ash. We want to find Ash."

"What are you talking about?" May asked her friend confused.

"Maybe we should search together for Ash. We would have better chances to find him soon." Brock explained seriously.

"We'll not work together with _you_!" Team Rocket declined forcefully.

"Why not? I'd like to think this is quite a good idea." A voice spoke out of the shadow.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! :)

Next chapter's up. Feedback would be great.

Disclaimer: don't own Pokémon

…

Both Team Rocket and the twerps looked in shock at the tall man who just walked out of an alley.

"B-Boss! What are _you_ doing here?" Team Rocket asked in unison.

"I make sure you three actually follow my orders." The boss of Team Rocket answered with his usual grumpy voice.

"Also I'd like to hear your progress from your own mouth."

The three criminals gulped heavily.  
"Well… we've a hint… kinda..." Meowth stuttered.

"What is this hint?" Giovanni asked highly interested. "Do you know about the boy's whereabouts."  
"Well…" Meowth started again and looked up to his friends.

"We spoke to an elderly woman who had seen some black clad guys who carried a kid into a black van in the early night." James told his boss. "But we don't know who or where they are now."

Giovanni rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "I see. I guess we have to continue searching then. The sooner we find him the better."

Then the boss turned to the kids who had watched the conversation unusually quiet.

"You're the boy's friends, aren't you? Well, you're coming too?"

May and Max looked a little bit uneasy to Brock who in turn looked almost inquisitive to the leader of Team Rocket.

"Like I said I think it's the best way to find Ash." Brock answered solemnly.

Giovanni nodded and the unusual search party started their investigation.

Brock was still confused about the sudden appearance of Giovanni. Why was he here? What could possibly tempt the head of Team Rocket in searching for a young trainer who had crossed his plans more than once?

...

Ash was still a little bit exhausted and drowsy when he regained consciousness.

First thing: It was dark.

Second thing: His head hurt like hell.

He looked around confused. Something wasn't right. At all. He couldn't see much of his surrounding but he noticed that he was in a rundown room with four brittle walls and a stable-looking metal door. The boy looked down at himself and saw that his hands, feet and chest were tied up to a wooden chair. Now that was definitive not good. Ash tried to remember how he ended up here but his memory was somewhat blurry. The last thing he remembered was that he was walking through a forest on his travel to the next city and his friends were a bit ahead of him. Then there was movement behind him and the last thing he knew was a sharp pain in his head and then the world went black.

Obviously he was kidnapped but the big question was: who kidnapped him?

And what was with his friends. Did these guys who stunned him also kidnapped Brock, May and Max?

Were they okay? Was Team Rocket responsible for this? But when Team Rocket was the kidnappers why did they take him and not Pikachu? Was Pikachu okay?

All this questions ensured that his head hurt even more and Ash struggled unsuccessful against his bonds.

Suddenly the door was opened and three black clad men entered. Ash mustered them warily and his heart beat accelerated. Two of the men positioned themselves at the door. The third man stepped forward and looked down on his prisoner. Because of the hoods the men were wearing Ash couldn't see their faces.

"Who are you?" He finally asked with a surprisingly strong voice. "Where am I? Why did you kidnap me? What's going on?"

Instead of answering the men just chuckled. Then the man in front of Ash – obviously the leader – took off his hood and revealed his face.

He had short bluish hair and green eyes. But the most striking feature of his face was a scar right under his left eye.

Ash gulped heavily as he looked in the man's eyes. He didn't like the look in his piercing eyes and Ash could almost touch the coldness the man in front of him emitted.

"You can call me Zane." The man told him and his voice was as unpleasant as his whole presence.

"Nice to meet you, Ash Ketchum."

The boy looked more than confused: "How do you know my name? We never met each other, did we?"

Again the man – Zane – chuckled: "No. But I do know quite a bit about you, Ash. Ash Ketchum – ten years old. You were born in Pallet Town in the Kanto region and lived there with your mother Delia Ketchum till your tenth birthday. You first Pokémon was a Pikachu that you get from professor Oak and now you're travelling through the different regions to become a Pokémon master."

Ash was honestly stunned. Who was this guy? And why did he know so much about him and his mother?

"Who are you?" Ash asked again now more determined. "Why do you know so much about me?"

Zane grinned: "I have to know my enemies by heart, don't you agree?"

"I'm not your enemy! I don't know you at all!" Ash replied now angry.

"Not yet." Zane agreed. "But you will get to know me very soon. Don't worry, kid."

"What do you want from me?" Ash asked a little calmer now.

"It's not what I want but rather _who_ I want, kid." Zane answered with a malicious grin.

"Fine. _Who_ do you want?" The boy asked annoyed.

Zane's grin grew wider: "Your precious little daddy, kid."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey! :)

Sorry for the long wait. I was very busy and school wasn't exactly friendly to me.

Whatever here's the next chapter. Feedback would be great - as always. (Also a huge thanks to the ones who already gave me feedback. I hope you like the story so far. :D)

Disclaimer: don't own Pokémon

…

Who would have thought that it would be so hard to find a missing boy in a small town? You would think that at least someone would have seen if some black clad men take a struggling or unconscious boy in a black van.

But nothing.

The involuntary group had searched through the whole town, the forest and questioned the inhabitants of the town but no one had seen a young trainer with a base cap or a black van. Though they got a tiny hint of a skitty that had seen some weird humans carrying a smaller human to an huge black vehicle.

But unfortunately it could tell them only that they went northern but not exactly how far.

In the end they decided that they would continue their search the next day because by the time they found the skitty it was already dusk and too dark to continue. They settled themselves in the forest on the north side of the town so they could set off early the next day.

As they got ready for the night Jessie, James and Meowth turned out to be quite useful in collecting sticks for the campfire. As soon as the fire was burning Brock prepared the dinner and May and Max had to hold Team Rocket back so they didn't eat everything before it was even ready.

Nobody noticed that Giovanni silently disappeared in the darkness of the forest.

...

He found a quiet little clearing where he could process everything that had happened in the last days.

Someone – he suspected some kind of organization – had kidnapped his little son – who by the way didn't quite know of his existence – and somehow he had the feeling that this guys wanted rather him than Ash.

'I have to find him and quick' He thought determined.

"Pika?"

Giovanni startled and looked down to his feet.

Right there by his shiny black shoes there was settled a little yellow electro mouse – Ash's Pikachu.

"Hey, little fellow. What are you doing here?" Giovanni asked to the little Pokémon.

Pikachu blinked curiously up at him.

"Pikachu?" It asked somewhat concerned.

Giovanni didn't quite know how to handle the Pokémon who was his son's partner.

He also didn't understand why it didn't fear him. He was the main enemy of his trainer and his friends and the Pokémon certainly had to know who he was. So why was it here?

"What can I do for you?" He asked both confused and curious.

Pikachu seemed to muster him before it suddenly jumped on his shoulder.

Giovanni startled at this sudden move of the Pokémon and the unfamiliar weight on his left shoulder.

Now he was only confused – terrible confused.

"Pika, Pikachu. Pika!" The yellow mouse said quite excited and smiled at him.

He couldn't explain it but somehow he knew what the little Pikachu wanted to tell him.

'Don't worry, everything will work out. Hold on! '

Giovanni regarded the little fellow on his shoulder and as he gazed at the Pikachu he knew it.

He knew that Pikachu _knew_ who he _really_ was.

"You are a very clever Pokémon, aren't you?" Giovanni asked and smiled a little bit.

Pikachu smiled knowingly and nuzzled Giovanni's cheek.

Giovanni looked up at the night sky and as he felt his little boy's Pokémon nuzzled his face he somehow knew that Pikachu would be right.

Everything would work out…

...

Where had Pikachu gone? Dinner was half an hour ago and Ash's partner wasn't back yet. Usually he had suspected Team Rocket but now the criminals were with them so it couldn't be them.

Brock frowned. Where was the boss of Team Rocket again? He disappeared ages ago and hadn't come back yet.

Now Giovanni and Pikachu were missing – strange coincidence.

"You are a very clever Pokémon, aren't you?"

Wait, that was Giovanni's voice, wasn't it?

Brock crept silently through the brushes and discovered a small clearing.

Giovanni was there sitting on a small rock and on his shoulder… was Pikachu?!

What was going on there?

Brock hid in the shadows of the trees and watched the unusual pair.

They looked quite at ease. That was strange itself.

There was something about them – some strange… understanding between the two of them. Like they knew each other on a level that Brock couldn't really grasp.

"We have to find him." Giovanni suddenly spoke. His face was angled to the sky. Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder and nuzzling the man's cheek.

This image was somewhat disturbing. It reminded him a lot of Ash and Pikachu.

Wait!

Suddenly Brock felt like his whole blood faded from his face.

No! No, no, no, no, no and no! No way! This couldn't be right! This would be ridiculous.

Ash once told him that his father was a great Pokémon trainer on his journey. The way Delia had always talked about Ash's father Brock had assumed…

The former gym leader regarded the big boss of Team Rocket. Well, Giovanni was on a journey – kind of.

And Brock knew that Giovanni was the official gym leader of Virdian City, so he was a strong Pokémon trainer.

So if – and Brock really wished he wasn't right – if Giovanni was – by any chance – Ash's father… this would be really strange and bizarre and confusing.

But also it would kind of make sense.

Now the big question was: Did Ash knows that Giovanni – the gym leader of Virdian City and big boss of Team Rocket – was his father? And if he did why hadn't he told anyone that? But then again it would be a strange introduction, wouldn't it? 'Hi, my name's Ash Ketchum and I want to be a Pokémon master. I'm from Pallet Town and my father is the big boss of Team Rocket, so _do not mess with me_.' Not the best way to make friends.

But, Brock thought, if Ash would knew about Giovanni being his father he would have acted differently when they met him in the gym of Virdian City.

No, Ash couldn't possibly know who his father really was, right? He wasn't that great of an actor.

"I guess, it would explain some things about Ash." Brock murmured to himself while he walked back to the others.

Jesse, James and Meowth had mentioned that Team Rocket's boss is sometimes a little bit impulsive and hot-headed. The best example was right now. The leader of Team Rocket leaves the safe headquarters to travel to a foreign country to find a boy who is known to be his mortal enemy.

"Just like Ash." Brock chuckled before he returned to the others.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello again! :)

Next chapter's finished. Feedback would be great as always.

Disclaimer: still don't own Pokémon

…

Ash was still prisoned in the little dark room. Zane and his entourage had left him after Zane's little speech.

Since then Ash had pondered the whole time about what Zane could have meant with his words.

"_Who do you want?"_

"_Your precious little daddy, kid."_

What had Zane meant? Ash hadn't seen his dad in years. Ever since he started his journey seven years ago Ash's father had disappeared and Ash hadn't heard anything from him in ages. Though his mother always said that his father was strong and would surely come back one day Ash was really worried about him.

_The poke ball was thrown and a proud Rapidash came to light. It reared and neighed loudly and Ash's eyes began to glow. With growing excitement the five-years-old watched as the fire Pokémon galloped in circles through the garden behind their house._

"_She is really beautiful, don't you think?" A female voice asked behind him._

_Ash turned around and saw his mom standing in the patio doors._

_The little boy nodded enthusiastically: "Totally! One day I wanna have a Pokémon, too. The strongest of all Pokémon and then I'll be a Pokémon master!"  
His mom chuckled: "You are just like your father."_

_Ash's smile seemed to grow even bigger by her words. If he was just like his dad he would be a great Pokémon trainer one day._

"_But you shouldn't forget" His mother continued. "Every Pokémon is strong, Ash. In its own ways and your task as a Pokémon trainer is it to bring out the strength in your Pokémon. Always remember this."_

_Ash nodded serious._

"_I wouldn't worry." A voice sounded from the background and the Rapidash in the garden neighed happily._

_His dad came up beside his Pokémon and caressed the neck of the fire Pokémon. Ash was surprised when his dad touched the flame mane without burning his hand._

"_How are you doing this, dad?" Ash asked excited and curious._

_His father smiled warmly: "I don't do anything, son. It's Rapidash here. You know, Ponyta and Rapidash have the ability to cool their flames that people who they like can touch them. Do you understand?"_

_Ash frowned for a moment and took a step towards Rapidash._

"_Do you like me, Rapidash?" Ash asked and smiled at the Pokémon._

_Rapidash neighed and lowered her head a bit._

_Ash looked up to his dad who in turn nodded encouragingly._

_The boy took a deep breath then he raised his little hand to the Rapidash and placed it on her neck._

_He was overwhelmed when he saw how the flame surrounded his hand but he didn't feel any pain._

"_Whoa! That's so cool!" Ash exclaimed happily._

_His father laughed loudly then picked up his son and sat him on the waiting Pokémon._

"_Don't ever be afraid of a Pokémon, Ash." His father told him quietly. "They will never mean you any harm. Remember this."_

_Ash nodded earnestly and patted the Rapidash._

His father had always been good with Pokémon. All of his Pokémon had been well trained and Ash had spent a lot of time with them when he was little. Ash tried to recall his father's looks but the memory was blurry.

He had been just too young and his attention was always with the Pokémon. All he could remember now was that his dad's hair had been a deep brown. It had been always tousled just like Ash's own and his father's eyes had been deep and dark – just like his own. His mom always said that Ash looked and acted a lot like his father and Ash always had been proud of that. It meant that he would be a great man one day – Just like his old man.

Suddenly the metal door in front of him was opened again and Zane entered the little room. This time he was all alone.

"Do you have a good time, kid?" Zane asked cheerfully and looked down on the tied up boy.

"Let me go." Ash demanded even though he knew that it wouldn't help much.

Zane simply laugh: "Just like daddy – Always commanding."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked angrily. He was tired of this man and his cryptic speeches. "Who is my father?"

Zane scrutinized the boy for a moment then smiled self-satisfied: "Would you like to know, wouldn't you?"

He left the room without turning back.

"Hey! Wait! Come back and tell me!" Ash yelled but his kidnapper was already gone.

The boy moaned loudly and let his head fell back.

"Thanks for the visit." He sighed.

…

The next morning came and finally they seemed to have found some luck.

May and Max went to the market early in the morning and talked to some of the seller who weren't on the market the day before. And indeed, they were lucky. A young saleslady remembered that she had seen a black van and some black clad men the night Ash went missing and that the car had driven far southward.

With this new information Brock, May, Max, Giovanni and Team Rocket went looking for Ash.

Their search led them to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere.

The group hid behind some rocks and watched the hideout of Ash's kidnapper from a safe distance.

"So, what should we do?" Max asked once they had hidden.

"Should we call the police?" May suggested uncertain. "I mean kidnapping is still a crime, isn't it?"

"Hm, I'm not sure if calling the police is wise, May." Brock replied ruminative.

He had thought a lot the previous night. If Giovanni was really Ash's father then there was only one reason why he was now here – at this specific time. Either this or all of this was one big coincidence but Brock highly doubted that.

He believed that Giovanni had got a message from the kidnappers to lure him to Hoenn – Ash was nothing more than a decoy.

"Hello? Earth to Brock."

May's impatient voice broke him out of his musing.

Inquisitively she stared at him.

"What did you say?"

May sighed: "I asked why you think that calling the police is such a bad idea. I mean that's their job, or am I wrong?"

Brock's gaze flickered shortly to Giovanni before he looked back at May.

"Listen. Ash's our friend. And if we call the police the kidnappers could get nervous and maybe hurt Ash. We have to help him by ourselves. This wouldn't be the first time we do such a thing."

May and Max shared a doubtful look but the siblings remained silent.

"What do you think?" Brock asked suddenly and looked at Giovanni. "You're here to find Ash, right? So what do you suggest?"

Giovanni and Brock looked at each intensely a few moments. There seemed to be some kind of mutual understanding between the men and Giovanni had the inking that Brock knew more than he say.

"We should try to enter the warehouse unseen then creep forward until we find him." Giovanni answered and Brock nodded in agreement.

"May I ask a question?" James piped up. "How will we find the boy?"

"Good question." Max mused.

Giovanni smirked slightly and pointed to the little yellow Pokémon by his feet.

"We have his Pokémon, remember? Pikachu can follow his trace."

"Pika!" Pikachu replied combative and raised his right paw.

If anyone was surprised or confused about the strange chemistry between Ash's Pikachu and the leader of Team Rocket, nobody dared to speak.

"Let's go." Brock announced eventually and they all walked up to the warehouse.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello, me again.

I am so sorry. I didn't mean to leave this story behind but I was quite stressed with school, sickness and real life in general.

I promise this story will be finished. No matter what!

So here's the new chapter and feedback would be awesome.

Also I'd like to say 'thank you' to the ones who reviewed to me. It is highly appreciated and I hope you're still out there.

English isn't my mother tongue so I'm sorry for any grammar errors.

Here is a little flashback, so everyone knows the story again:

_Ash and Co. are on their journey through Hoenn when Ash is kidnapped by some strange men._

_Team Rocket gets order from their boss to find Ash. Giovanni, who is Ash's father, travels to Hoenn to search for Ash himself._

_Giovanni, Team Rocket and the Ash-Gang team up to find Ash._

_Meanwhile Ash finds himself in a strange warehouse and is confronted by the leader of the kidnappers, a man names Zane. He tells Ash that he has just kidnapped him because Zane is interested in Ash's father._

_Ash doesn't know who his father is and Zane doesn't want to tell him._

_Brock discovers that Giovanni is Ash's father but he keeps the secret to himself. Pikachu is the only one who also knows the secret._

_Finally they find the abandoned warehouse where Ash is kept and they prepare to save him._

* * *

Surprisingly there were no guards at the entrance. The whole surrounding was deserted and the little group could easily slip into the building.

"This is strange." Max voiced his thoughts. "Wouldn't kidnappers try to supervise their hideout so no unexpected visitors can just walk through the front door?"

"You're right." Brock agreed. "Something's weird about this place. We better find Ash quick and then get away from here."

"No arguments from me." May replied scarily.

They walked through some corridors until they reached a crossroad.

"What now?" James asked.

"Well, it's clear, isn't it?" May and Jessie replied at the same time.

"This way!" They said confidently. May pointed to the right side and Jessie to the left side.

Max and Meowth sighed frustrated: "Well, that was easy."

Giovanni could only shake his head. Where had he gotten these amateurs?

He kneeled in front of Pikachu: "Can you smell him?"

The little yellow Pokémon lifted its nose high up in the air and sniffed a few times.

The humans – and Meowth – waited anxiously.

A few minutes nothing happened.

Suddenly Pikachu sprinted off to the left side.

"Pikachu!" May and Max yelled surprised.

"I knew I was right!" Jessie said happily.

"Boss!" James and Meowth yelled after Giovanni who immediately followed Ash's Pokémon.

"Come on!" Brock said and set off down the corridor.

...

Pikachu and Giovanni ran through some corridors but slipped to a halt when they reached a corner.

Behind it there was another corridor with a metal door. But what really had caught their eye was the fact that two guys guarded the inconspicuous door.

"I think we're here." Giovanni whispered to his Pokémon fellow.

Pikachu nodded silently.

The rest of the group arrived and the Boss signalled them to be quiet.

Brock peered around the corner.

"What should we do?" He asked the others. "We could fight with them but I'm pretty sure that this will alarmed the rest of them."

"Maybe we should skip the fight and just knock them out." Meowth suggested and looked at the humans.

"Not a bad plan." Max mused.

"And how will we do that?" May asked her little brother.

"Just watch us." Jessie and James replied in unison.

Before anyone could argue Team Rocket dashed around the corner and shortly after Seviper and Cacnea appeared and knocked the guards out cold.

"Well, that's one way of doing it." May mused, unsure if she should be impressed or scared.

"At least they're unconscious." Brock replied and stepped around the corner.

"Told you we could do it." Jessie said self-satisfied.

"Whatever, we have to move quickly." Giovanni interrupted them and took a look at the door.

"Can you open it?" Brock asked and stepped next to the older man.

"Should be easy. We just need Seviper and its poison tail to break the lock." Giovanni answered and looked meaningful to Jessie.

"R-right, Boss. Seviper, use…"

The red-haired woman couldn't finish her command because in this moment a bunch of Magnetilos raced down the corridor from both sides and suddenly they were trapped.

"Damn! Where do _they_ come from now?!" Meowth cursed frustrated.

"We're trapped! What should we do?" May asked anxiously.

"Stay calm." Brock said. "Don't worry."

"I wouldn't be too optimistic, boy." Giovanni replied and looked to the Pokémon around them. "This isn't going to be pretty."

Then the Magnetilos shocked them and the group fell to the ground unconsciously.

The attack didn't work well on Pikachu and the little fellow attacked its enemies.

It used quick attack on one of the Magnetilos but it didn't work that well.

The opposing Pokémon formed a circle around the electro mouse and pressed it together.

Pikachu tried to break free but lost consciousness at last.

...

"Cacnea, use Pin Missile!"

"Poison Tail, Seviper!"

Ash looked up in surprise. Those voices he would recognize everywhere – Jessie and James.

But why were they here? Did they come to rescue him? No, they wouldn't. Right?

The boy listened carefully. It seemed that Team Rocket had knocked out the guards. He could hear Jessie praising herself and if he heard right then Brock was also with them. Did his friends teamed up with Team Rocket to save him? Granted, it wouldn't be the first time those criminals had come to his rescue. But why now?

But then he heard the unmistakable sounds of Magnetilos. Damn, they're caught!

Ash tried again to break free from his bonds but it was no use. He couldn't help them.

The young trainer sighed deeply.

"I can only hope that Pikachu and the others are okay." He murmured sadly.

There had to be a way to flee – He just had to find it.

...

Tiredly Brock opened his eyes. What happened? Where were they?

He took in his surroundings. There wasn't much to look at. It looked like an empty room. There wasn't furniture or even windows, so it was pitch black.

"Hey, guys. Are you alright?" Brock asked into the darkness.

"Define 'alright'." He heard Max's voice right behind him. "My head hurts."

"That's what happens when you get shocked by a Pokémon." Meowth grumbled. "Now you know the feeling, twerp."

"Are we all still together?" Brock asked.

"I'm here." May spoke up.

"Me too." James replied. "Jessie?"

"Yeah…" The red-haired woman answered.

"I'm also here." Giovanni said and he seemed to be the only one who wasn't that effected by the attack of the Magnetilos.

"Where are we?" Max asked and you could hear that he was slightly afraid.

"In some sort of room, it seems." May answered. "Don't worry, Max. Everything will be fine."

"Yeah, right." Jessie snarled. "Who knows what these guys are going to do with us."

"Quiet! I can hear something." Meowth interrupted them suddenly and everyone listened carefully.

They could hear footsteps approaching and a few moments later the door was opened and bright light shone in the room and blended the group temporally.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?" An amused voice spoke up.

Giovanni looked up and saw a familiar face and an even more familiar smirk.

"Long time no see, old friend." Zane said with an arrogant smirk.

Giovanni snickered: "We've never been friends, Zane. Why are you still alive?"

The man in the black coat feigned hurt: "Like always you say exactly the right things at the right times."

The others looked curious between the two men. What exactly was going on here?

"You know each other?" May asked finally.

"Sure we do – For a long time by now. Actually, I was once a member of Team Rocket, too. In fact, I was the partner of this man here when we were both nothing more than young recruits." Zane answered in an almost casually tone.

His eyes flashed with some unknown emotions.

"But it seemed that I had not the right… connections to survive in the organization. And while I had no fair chance to be anything other than an lackey, the grand Giovanni here rose like a flower in spring – All because of little mommy, don't you agree, Giovanni?"

"You didn't have success in Team Rocket because you had no talent, Zane. It had nothing to do with any connections." The Boss replied angrily.

But Zane just chuckled: "Look, look, look. Isn't that quite a picture? The big boss of the criminal organization Team Rocket is now tied up on a chair in an abandoned warehouse in a country far away from home. Well, what can I say? Like father, like son. Don't you agree, old boy?"

Suddenly Giovanni tensed up and pressed against the chair he was tied to: "So, he's really here, isn't he? You've captured him! Why?!"

Both, twerps and rockets, flinched at the unexpected outburst of the leader.

Zane on the other hand was truly unimpressed: "So, you really knew about him – All this time? _That_ is highly interesting. Do you have still contact with his mother? Does he even know about you?"

"I have no idea in which aspect my family business is any of your concern." Giovanni answered coldly.

"You're right, it isn't." The kidnapper replied with a chuckle. "But when it will help me to let _you_ suffer then I will _of course_ use your son against you, Giovanni."

Zane laughed rather evilly and turned towards the door: "Now – if you excuse me – I have some business to handle. See you later."

The door closed and the room fell silent.

"What was that?" Young Max asked confused and broke through the thick silence.

"So, it is really true, isn't it?" Brock thought aloud and looked with a serious expression to the leader of Team Rocket. "You really are Ash's father, right?"

The following silence was enough of an answer.

Now – it seems – the bystanders finally grasped the exact meaning of the conversation.

"Wait a minute!" May pleaded and shook her head. "Brock, are you trying to say that _this_ man here is the father of _our_ Ash?"

"I can't believe this!" Max exclaimed more fascinated then shocked.

"WHAT!" James, Jessie and Meowth shouted in unison. "The leader-twerp is the son of _our_ boss!?"

"Sir?" Brock asked with an unusually politeness towards the criminal.

The gym-leader of Virdian City sighed deeply: "Yes, it's true."

"How could _this_ happen?" May asked still shocked.

She couldn't imagine the kind and friendly Delia Ketchum with a criminal man like Giovanni – the big boss of Team Rocket. They didn't seem to match in the slightest.

"I wasn't always the cold-hearted leader of the organization." Giovanni replied rather rudely. "11 years ago I was together with Delia. Although I already was part of Team Rocket, I tried to have a normal life. It worked… for a short time. I feared I would eventually loss both Delia _and_ Ash to Team Rocket one day. That's why I sent Delia away after she told me about her pregnancy. She fled to her hometown Pallet Town and hid there before the prying eyes of Team Rocket. Meanwhile my mother died and I became the boss of Team Rocket. I didn't like it at the time but I knew I could protect them on this way. A few months later I received a letter from Delia where she told me about Ash."

All persons – humans and Pokémon – were quite speechless by Giovanni's story. Everyone, except Brock.

"Now all makes sense." He spoke after a few minutes.

"What do you mean?" Max wanted to know.

"I've spent a lot of time with Ash on our journeys and there were some things about him that I couldn't really explain even after I first met his mom." Brock said thoughtful. "For example his impulsivity and aggression in battles or dangerous situations. I always thought he would have inherited these traits from his father but I never imagined…"

May was still rather shocked by this revelation. She never thought Ash's father could be such a man. The girl scrutinized Giovanni and she had to admit that there were some similarities between Ash and the leader of Team Rocket. The skin and the facial structure – She could easily imagine that, if Ash would be a grown-up one day, he would look a lot like Giovanni. The thought scares her somewhat.


	9. Chapter 9

So, it has been quite a long time since I have even looked at this story.

I simply hadn't got a clue where I wanted this story to go and therefore didn't know how to proceed.

But now that I have a little bit more spare time I've started on this story again.

I hope you like this new chapter. :)

Disclaimer: Pokémon doesn't belong to me and I don't earn any money with this story

* * *

A few corridors away Ash was still tied to his chair and was still trying to find a way out of his misery.  
He was certain that his friends had come to rescue him and he was also sure that they were detected and captured by Zane and his minions.  
He needed to find a way out of this room – He needed to save his friends!  
Again he pulled against his ties. They were tight as always.

"Come on, think. There has to be a way." Ash murmured to himself and looked searchingly around.

It was quite dark and the boy couldn't make out much. The door in front of him was metallic and quite sturdy. There was no way he could break it open. He let his gaze wander around. The walls looked old and the wallpaper was coming down at some places. The floor was mostly empty but in the corner to his right he could make out some clutter and judging by the amount of dust on the things they must have been left by the original owner of the building ages ago. Maybe there was something that could help him cut those ropes…  
Ash looked down on himself and then to the clutter a few meters away from him. Now he just had to make his way over there somehow. The boy looked to looked door in front of him. Zane had make it a habit to check up on him every few hours or so and his last visit wasn't so long ago. If Lady Fortune was on his side maybe he could risk it.

Ash waited a few more moments and listened closely for any sounds on the other side. When there was only silence the young trainer took a deep breath and threw himself to the side.  
The chair tumbled down on the ground and Ash fell hard on the ground. Due to the impact he lost his cap.

"Ouch…" He muttered when there was a sharp pain in his right arm and leg. _'That was harder than expected'_

Ash waited a moment and listened in the silence. When nothing happened he breathed out in relief. It seemed like he was really alone and for once no one was guarding him. Or maybe his guards were as much morons as Team Rocket.  
With a little smirk on his face Ash proceeded to rob on the ground to the clutter in the corner.

It wasn't easy by any means. He was tied to a chair, could move neither arms nor legs and he was pretty sure he had scraped the extremities he had landed on and his robbing didn't make it better.  
But Ash ignored the pain in his arm and leg and concentrated on his goal. He needed to get out of here and quickly! Who knew what Zane would be doing to his friends? That guy might need him but that didn't mean he would keep his friends around. They were in danger and Ash needed to save them!

After a couple of slow and quite painful minutes he finally reached the clutter and started to look around for something useful. Now that he was closer he could identify the various objects that were lying there. Most of it was just broken pieces of wood, loose papers and some picture frames.

'_Maybe if I'm especially lucky today…_' Ash thought as he moved closer to an old looking picture frame.

And sure enough when he got a closer look on the frame he saw that there was a rusty old nail still stuck in the frame.  
"Awesome…" Ash breathed and he couldn't believe his luck.  
It was now or never.

Because of the immobility of his arms and legs the boy needed to literally use his head to move the picture frame in the right position for him to have an easy access to the nail. Now it all came down to coordination and patience. Ash knew that he wasn't one who valued those traits very much but he didn't really have a choice.

With effort he managed to turn himself and the chair he was tied to around so that he was now with his back to the nail that was his chance of freedom. Ash knew that he was making more noises than was probably useful but he couldn't really do much about it. He could just hope that his guards were doing a long break far away from duty.  
It took a few tries for him to get his tied up hands on the nail but after he did, it didn't take long until he could feel his hands coming free. He cheered internally and a big grin appeared on his face.  
After that it was almost child's play to free him fully.

'_Who's the boss'_ Ash thought smugly when was finally standing on his feet again.  
He carefully rubbed his aching shoulder and looked around. Okay… now that he was free he just needed to find a way to get out of this room. First he went to the door and put his ear against it. Then he realized that he wouldn't hear much because of the door being metallic.  
'_Well I will have to hope that no one will come here for a little while longer'_ Ash thought slightly concerned.  
Should Zane decide to visit him now it could go very bad for him.

Quietly Ash walked along the ramshackle walls and knocked lightly against them. Brock once told him that sometimes there were hidden rooms behind some walls. You just had to watch out for any hollow sounds.  
Unfortunately there didn't seem to be any hidden rooms in his room.  
"Typical" The boy grumbled and thought again.  
Great, now he was free but still imprisoned. What should he do now?

Ash scratched his head when his eyes fell on a piece of wood that still lay with the other clutter in the corner.  
He hadn't waste a thought on it at first but maybe…  
In the next moment he shook his head. He couldn't really do that, could he? Unsure Ash crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked thoughtfully at the piece of wood.  
Theoretically he could just yell for the guards and knock them out with an aimed hit.  
But that would be quite violent, now would it?  
Ash didn't like hurting people. His mother always told him that there were plenty of other ways to solve a problem.  
You didn't have to rely on violence and in the past Ash had always found a peaceful way out of a situation and fought only if he had to.

'_But…'_ The young trainer thought helplessly and looked around once more. _'I don't see any other way out of this. They took my poké balls with them so I can't summon_ anyone_. And it's not as if these guys had been gentle with me'  
_Ash nodded encouraging to himself and went to the clutter. On the way he saw his cap lying on the ground. Confident with his plan he picked it up and put it backwards on his head. Then he picked up the piece of wood and went to the door.

'_Now I just need to draw attention to myself…'_

Ash looked at the door. It was sturdy and seemed to be the only relatively new thing in the room. It was probably the only thing Zane and his minions installed themselves.  
There was no lock on his side and he assumed that it was no coincident.  
He hesitated for a moment before he started to shout: "Hello?! Anybody out there?! Come on, I'm bored and haven't seen anybody for a while!  
Hello, do you listen, you idiots?! Entertain me, now!"

Suddenly there were noises on the other side of the door and Ash's heart skipped a beat out of fear.  
Why did they act now and not then when he was breaking free?  
Quickly Ash moved to the side and raised the piece of wood above his head. He just hoped that he would only go against one guard.  
He didn't know if the trick would work on two persons. Hopefully he wouldn't need to find out.

"What the hell does this kid in there?!" Someone shouted on the other side.  
Ash heard the door being unlocked and he got ready.  
The door opened and soon enough one hooded guy entered.  
"What are you wrecking in here, kid?" He asked but stopped short when he saw the empty chair lying in the corner. "What the hell…?"  
He didn't get to finish his sentence because in this moment Ash hit him hard on the head with his makeshift weapon.  
The man fell on the ground and was out cold.

For a minute Ash was just standing there, frozen and waiting.  
When nothing happened the boy breathed out in relief.  
The he realized it. He did it. He actually did it!  
Grinning he stepped out of the dark room into the bright corridor and looked around.

'_So far, so good.'_ The trainer thought. _'Now I just need to find the others.'_

There wasn't much he could do. He didn't have a clue where his friends were. He hadn't had any other chance but to randomly search the rooms. It was dangerous because he didn't know what he would find behind the doors nor if there were any guards patrolling the halls.

'_Well… no risk, no fun'_ Ash thought and shrugged.

As an afterthought he took the key rings from his guard and looked him into the room. This way should someone come around they might just think that he has a crappy guard who can't do his job properly.  
With this Ash started down the corridor in search of his missing friends…


	10. Chapter 10

Welcome back!

Have fun with the new chapter.

Here a little side note: I just re read this story and realized that I made a 'small' mistake. I said that Ash was ten years old. Because this story is set in Advance Generation and because of a fanmade timeline I find reasonable Ash would be actually 12 years old. I will edit the chapters soon and set things right.

Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine (Sadly...)

* * *

The 'rescue squad' was still tied up in the darkened room and the 'grown ups' – namely Jessie and James – were starting to get restless.  
"I can't believe we're tied up again!" Jessie complained while tugging uselessly at her ties. "How come it's always us who get in this kind of mess? What did we ever do to deserve such a fate?!"  
"Maybe if you lots weren't so utterly incompetent you would have more success." Giovanni grumbled.

Those idiots were seriously starting to get on his nerves. If he was to be tied up in this room for much longer he would break free from his ties by sheer will power just to silence those morons.

"But boss" James now started to argue. "It is not our fault those twerps always get in our ways!"  
"Look who you're talking about." May sneered angrily. "If you're too stupid to take care of four kids you're really hopeless."  
"You know" Meowth suddenly spoke up and interrupted the lovely conversation. "It would help my concentration a great deal if you could be a bit quieter. Thank you very much."  
"What do you need to concentrate on?" Max asked curiously.

There was a beat of silence before they heard the ripping of rope.

"What the…" Jessie started but Meowth interrupted her.  
"While you were busy panicking I tried to cut my ties with my claws." Meowth explained with obvious smugness in his voice.  
"Oh, Meowth, you're a genius!" James praised the little cat Pokémon.  
"I know, it's a gift." Meowth replied self-satisfied.  
"Well, hurry up and free us!" Giovanni ordered impatiently.

Now that they had a chance he couldn't wait to finally find Ash and let Zane pay for his actions.  
He didn't know why his old rival suddenly decided to appear again but Giovanni knew whatever it was it couldn't be good – And if the leader of Team Rocket knew one thing than that he didn't want to endanger his son who didn't even knew about.

Quickly Meowth cut the ties around Giovanni's hands and feet and then the Pokémon proceed to free James, Jessie and the children.  
Giovanni stood up and went to the door to check the look. Like he had expected it was locked and immediately he checked his pockets when he froze.

'_Oh, you stupid…'_ Giovanni thought angrily when he remembered that he hadn't took any of his Pokémon with him except for Persian – his loyal companion.

"Damn it" He cursed.  
"What is it, boss?" Jessie asked behind him.  
Giovanni ignored her and directed his attention to Ash's friends.  
"Do you still have your Pokémon with you?"

Immediately Brock and the girl began to check their pockets.  
"Oh, great, they're still all here!" The girl exclaimed happily and looked up to the older boy. "What about you, Brock?"  
The teenager nodded: "Yes, that's good. I guess they didn't waste time to search our pockets when they had tied us up."  
"Finally we have some luck." The bespectacled boy added grinning.  
"Let's not waste any more time." Giovanni said and swiftly turned back to the door. "It's time to find Ash."

The man took a poke ball out of his pocket and summoned Persian.  
"Oh, not you again…" Meowth grumbled behind him but Giovanni ignored him.  
"Persian, break down this door!" He ordered.  
The graceful feline did a quick job with her attack iron tail and the sturdy metal door was no more.  
"Good job." Giovanni praised his partner and stepped out in the corridor.

Everything was quiet and it seemed that the building was empty. Giovanni had the feeling that something was clearly wrong. They had to find Ash as quick as possible.  
"Pikachu!" The yellow mouse Pokémon suddenly shouted out and Giovanni looked down in surprised.  
"Have you picked up Ash's trail?" He asked hopefully.  
Pikachu smiled at him encouragingly: "Pika!"  
"Perfect! Lead the way."

Pikachu wanted to start running when Persian got in his way.  
Confused the little mouse looked up at the bigger Pokémon.  
"Meow…" Persian said and crouched down.  
The electric Pokémon looked surprised for a moment before it happily jumped on the back of the feline.  
Persian stood up and Pikachu motioned down the corridor.  
"Meow" Persian replied and took off in a fast tempo.  
"Hurry!" Giovanni said to the others before he ran after the Pokémon.

* * *

"Oh, man, this is getting boring." Ash sighed as he opened another door to another empty room.  
"How am I ever gonna find Pikachu and the others? I sure hope they're okay…"  
Suddenly he heard quick feet steps around a corner and the boy started to panic.

'_Damn it… they found me…'_ He thought scared and rushed to hide behind another corner.

Nervously he grabbed the piece of wood tightly in his hands, ready to fight at all costs.  
He wouldn't let himself be caught a second time. No, he wouldn't let Zane this satisfaction!  
His followers rounded the corner and came to a stop. Ash held his breath and waited.  
Suddenly there was a sound he would recognize everywhere.

"Pika…"  
"Pikachu?" Ash asked surprised and looked around the corner.  
His yellow partner caught his eyes and shouted excitedly.  
"Pikachu!"  
"Oh, man, I'm glad you're okay, pal!" The twelve-years-old exclaimed and went to his friend.  
The mouse Pokémon jumped off of a Persian into the arms of his trainer.  
Happily Ash embraced his partner and held him tight. He was so glad Pikachu was okay. Now he just needed to find Brock and the others. Then he would take care of Zane.

"But Pikachu" Ash said when he let go of his Pokémon who immediately went to sit on his shoulder. "Who is this?" He pointed at the Persian.  
It was unusual to see such a Pokémon in Hoenn.  
"Meow." Persian said and held up his paw for Ash to take.  
Surprised Ash took hold of the paw: "Hey, I'm Ash. Did you save Pikachu?"  
Persian miaowed again and looked at Ash as if it recognized him.  
"Do… do we know each other?" Ash asked confused when he saw Persian's gaze.  
Why did he have this feeling that he knew this Pokémon?

* * *

"_Ha-ha, come, play with me!" The little four-years-old shouted grinning and chased after the little Meowth._

_The feline Pokémon was anything but amused by the little human child. Meowth jumped onto the balustrade of the patio and looked down on the black haired kid with a scowl._

"_Oh, don't you wanna play?" Little Ash asked confused and sad._

"_Meow." The Pokémon answered before it lay down on the banister to sleep._

"_She doesn't like all this excitement, you know, Ash?" A deep voice behind him answered before Ash was scooped up by a pair of strong arms. "But this doesn't mean she doesn't want to play with you. Just be more affable with Meowth."_

"_Okay, dad" Ash answered and snuggled deeper into the embrace of his beloved dad…_

* * *

With a gasp of surprised Ash broke free from this sudden memory. What was that?

"Persian?" Ash asked confused and looked down at the feline.  
Persian gazed at him with a serene expression before she bumped her head against his leg.  
Unsure of the situation Ash petted Persian's head and the cat miaowed in content.

"Ash!"  
'The young trainer startled at the loud voices of his friends.  
"Hey, Ash, are you alright?" Brock asked him concerned and stopped in front of him.  
"Yes, I'm fine." Ash replied still a bit out of it. "What about you guys? Everything alright with you?"  
"Yes, we're fine." May answered. "Did that scary guy hurt you?"  
"Scary guy…?" Ash asked confused before he realized. "Oh, you mean that douchebag with the scar?"  
"Exactly." Max replied.  
"No, he didn't hurt me. He just really got on my nerves." Ash explained. "Can't wait to see him again. He won't know what hit him."  
"I don't think it would be a good idea to see him again." May said. "We should get out of here as fast as we can."  
"I can't go!" Ash argued. "He still has all of my Pokémon and I won't let this guy get away with kidnapping me."  
"But Ash" Brock tried to reason. "We should get back to Haven City and inform Officer Jenny. Let her deal with those criminals."  
"No!" Ash shouted angrily.

He couldn't explain his wrath but he wanted to face Zane himself. There were still so many questions and only Zane could give him the answers. He knew that Brock was probably right and that it was dangerous but Ash just didn't care.

"But Ash…" Brock started again and sighed deeply.  
That was the side of his friend the former gym leader didn't like to see. This rough, reckless and _angry_ side of Ash Ketchum. He didn't see this Ash often but the few times in the past that he did see him had been more than enough.  
And now that he knew where those traits of his personality were from he hated it all the more.

"You want to get one on Zane, kid? Then I'm with you." A deep voice behind Brock suddenly spoke up.

Startled Ash looked behind his friends and saw no other than the boss of Team Rocket in the flesh.  
"What are you doing here?!" Ash asked angrily.  
"We're trying to save you, you ungrateful twerp!" Jessie barked beside Giovanni.  
"Won't be trying that again." James added and folded his arms across his chest.  
"Sorry for the inconvenience." Meowth sniffed sourly.  
"What?" The boy asked confused.

What was it with Team Rocket and their crazy rescue schemes whenever he was in real danger?

"You heard right." Giovanni said and looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Now, do you want our help… or not?"  
Ash and Giovanni gazed at each other for a few minutes.

Now that they were both together Brock had the chance to really look at them. It was frankly pretty disturbing how alike they were. The same dark, passionate eyes, the same unyielding expression, the same stubborn personality.

'_I guess the genetic question is answered then.'_ Brock thought and sighed silently.

"Why should I trust any of you?" Ash finally asked and looked challenging at Giovanni.  
"Oh god" The boss of Team Rocket chuckled. "Don't do that. Never trust anyone."  
Surprised Ash blinked. Why did he have such a bizarre déjà-vu?  
"Whatever" He finally said. "I guess I can get any help I can. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"  
"Certainly." Giovanni replied and a strange satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Why did it feel to Ash as if he had just passed some kind of test? Man that was weird as hell…

"Right." Ash said again before he looked to his friends. "Where to now? Do you guys have some kind of map or something?"  
"Unfortunately not." Brock replied and tried to figure out how they were going to find Zane in this giant building.  
"Meow!" Persian suddenly exclaimed and startled the humans.  
"W-what's up?" Ash asked confused.  
Persian sniffed at the ground before she looked first at Ash than at Giovanni and miaowed again.  
"Brilliant." Giovanni praised his partner. "You still remember Zane's scent, do you, Persian."  
The feline miaowed in reply.

"Remember?" Meowth asked confused. "How can Persian remember that guy's scent? It was in his poke ball at the time, wasn't it?"  
Persian ignored her fellow cat Pokémon and pointed with one paw down a corridor before she once again looked up to Ash.

Thoughtfully Ash mustered the feline. Even though Persian was the Pokémon of the boss of Team Rocket the young trainer somehow knew that he could trust her.  
"Okay." He finally decided. "Lead the way, Persian."  
"Meow…" The cat replied and darted down the corridor.  
"Hurry!" Ash said to the others and followed Persian.


End file.
